Card-index device



Ma -'25, 192s. 1,539,206

J. H. RAND, JR

CARD INDEX DEVICE Filed Jan. 25. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet l May 26, 1925. 1,539,206

J. H. RAND. JR I CARD INDEX DEVICE F i'led Jan. 25. 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 /4 rroRzWSKs;

May 26, 1925. 1,539,206.

J. H. RAND. Jl'

cam) INDEX DEVICE Filed Jan. 25. 1925 5 Shets-Sheet s 3 L 55 5 55 E5555"- 95551221255- H' -l N f' O I L Q: \d y /7 M9 y L 1 I I l l I I u J /X v l K JP Patented May 26, 1925.

UNITED STATES JAMES H. RAND, JR, OF TONAW'ANDA, NEW YORK.

CARD-INDEX DEVICE.

Application filed January 25, 1923. Serial No. 614,810.

. To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. RAND, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Tonawa-nda, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new. and useful Improvement in Card-Index Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in index or record devices, and more particularly to that type of index in which a plurality of cards or card holders are removably supported in a tray or other support ing device in overlapping series, the edges of successive cards projecting one beyond the other.

Heretofore indexes or record card hold ers of this type have been provided comprising two sections, one section being provided with tongues or other means for eflecting its attachment to a support, the other sec tion embodying a card or card-holder provided With tongues or other parts adapted to releasably engage parts of the first-mentioned section, whereby the two mayibe releasably secured together on the support. In devices of this kind where the index comprises a plurality of card-holders having sheaths or other means for releasably holding cards on the holders, various types of signal devices have been provided for drawing attention to a particular card or cards. As the attaching sections must of necessity be relatively heavy and more "near- 1y rigid than the card members, the attachment of each card to the support by means of a separate relatively heavy or thick attaching portion substantially limits the number of cards that may be placed in a I tray or drawer of given size.

The objects of the present invention are toprovide card-holders, a plurality of which are adapted to be supported in a tray or other support and which-have attaching sec tions which occupy little space on the support, but each of which eflectively supports a plurality of cards; also to provide cardholders which will efliectively support a plurality of cards of difi'erent sizes or forms; also to provide card-holders having means for attachment to a support and. which effectively hold av plurality of cards in dlfferent positions, thereby permitting any desired number of cards in the in ex to be retained in positions wherein the cards themselves serve as signals in directing the operators attention to such card or cards when handling the index; and also to provide improvements in record or index cards and card-holders in the other respects hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a card-holder and cards embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the holder. 1

FigJl' is a portion of a plan view of one of the cards.

Fig. 5 is a section on line'55, Fig. 1, but with the cards removed.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the cards in different positions with respect to their holders.

Fig. 7 is a section on line 7"( Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a holder with one card thereon.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a holder with cards of different sizes supported thereon.

Fig. 10 is a section on line 1'010, Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a section on line 1111, Fig. 9.

Fig. 12 is a plan view of a holder of another modified form, one of the cards there on being broken away.

Fig. 13 is a plan view of the opposite face of the holder and cards shown in Fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is a section on line 1414, Fig. 12.

Fig. 15 is a portion of a perspective view of the holder of Figs. 12 and 13.

Fig. 16 is a section of a pair of nested holders of the form shown in Figs. 12 and 1 The invention, generally stated, includes a card-holder having a part for attachment to a support and parts preferably hinged to said attaching part for removably supporting a plurality of record or index cards or slips, whereby one attachin part serves to hold any desired number 0 the removable cards or slips in the index. It further preferably includes means for supporting a plurality of record cards or slips in different positions relativelyto one another whereby one or more cards or slips may be olfset relatively to the others to produce a. signalling efieet. Further, means are provided for sup orting cards of diflerent sizes on one hol er.

attached to a support. For this purpose the.

holder is provided with suitable supportengaging means, such; for example, as the end tongues B, which, as well known in the art, are adapted to engage beneath the side flanges or guide members of a tray or drawer (not necessary to be here shown). The holder is preferably provided with an upper, relatively stifi' attaching portion C of which the ton ues B are preferably intevention illustrated, two or more hinged parts or members 10 are connected to the upper portion C. Any suitable number of these hingedparts or members may be provided,

as it has been found that one holding member may be successfully used to support a relatively large number of cards in'the 1ndex device.

These hinged portions 10, which may be constructed of material of less thickness or lighter weight than the upper portion C, are provided with means for holding or supporting a suit-able number of cards or the like, Thus there are provided on each hinged portion 10 a plurality of sets of parts for engaging and releasably holding cards thereon. In the embodiment illus trated, the members 10 are each provided with a plurality of apertures 11' adjacent each side edge thereof and adapted to re- .ceive tongues 12 of the index cards 13. As illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, this plurality of apertures or attaching parts for the cards at both sides of the hinge members permits of the insertion of the tongues of one card in one set of apertures of one.

of the hinged members and the insertion of the tongues of another card of the same size in another set of apertures of the other hinge member, resulting in one of the cards being ofi'set laterally relatively to the other.

As shown in Fig. 1, an edge of the rear card projects to the right of the figure beyond the front card and it is, therefore, apparent that in using the index, the attention of the operator will be readily called to the cards so ofi'set. These improved holders also permit of the ready support of different sized cards upon the attaching means, illustrated,

for example, in Fig. 6, where the front card, which is shown thrown back in said figure,

is of larger size than the rear card. This renders possible the ready association, on a common holding member in an index of a plurality of associated or cooperating cards or index members,which while bearing some ,relation to one another, may preferably be of difierent appearance or form. The broken lines in Fig. 1 indicate the positions of an adjacent holder and cards in an index set or series.

As illustrated in Figs. 8 to 11 inclusive, each of the hinged members of the holder may be readily adapted to support a plurahty of cards of difi'erent sizes. Thus, for example, in these figures there is shown a hinged member 10 having apertures '11 rate cards or slips to be placed t ereon.

"card-supporting portions hinge to 16, the holder has an upper portion C 7 provided with tongues B and a hinged body gral parts. In t e form of the present inportion 10 having parts for supporting a plurality of cards of different s1zes or for supportlng cards in different relative positions thereon. In the embodiment shown,

the body member 10 of the holder may be provided with a sheath or pocket-forming portion 16 which is adapted to receive an edge of the card or an index slip or the like.-

The body portion of the holder is provided with a plurality of parts for on aging sepa- As illustrated, these-may be in the form of slits or apertures arranged in sets. Thus, for example, Figs. 12 and 13 show two cards of different sizes, a card'1 i on the front of the holder and having its lower edge resting insheath 16 and the corners of its upper edge in the upper slits 19 and a smaller card 15", the corner edges of which extend through the four slits-18, comprising a. set. These figures also show slits 17 and 20 providing two other sets of holding parts for accommodating cards of still dilferentdimensions.

As illustrated for example, in Figs l, 3 and 6, each of. the several sets of apertures or slits which receive the tongues of the cards are ofl'set relatively to the other set .or sets whereby on any one of the holders a card may be oflc'set relatively to another card held thereon to call such card or cards to the attention of the operator of the index.

The provision of a plurality of sets of card-holding parts on the member which is attached to the tray or support results in the insertion of a greater number of cards or index members in a tray or support of of different dimensions, at the same time permitting the offsetting of cardsrelatively to one another, thereby doin away with the necessity for separate, detac able signal devices and the like. 1

I claim as-my invention:

1. In index card holders, the combination of an attaching portion having parts for attachment to a support, and'a lurality of d to said attaching portion, each of said card-supporting portions having parts for engagin and supporting a plurality of separate car s. a

2. In index card holders, the combinatoin of an attaching portion having means for attachment to a support, and parts for holding a plurality of separate cards, certain of said card-holding parts bein offset relatively to the others of said car holding parts, whereby one of said.- cards may be supported tion having separate car on said card-holding parts in a position of!- set from the other'of said cards.

3. In index card holders, the combination of an attaching portion having means for attachment to a support and parts for holding a plurality of separate cards, certain of said card-holding parts being ofi's et laterally relatively to the others, whereby one of said cards may be'held in a position offset laterally from the other of said cards.

4. In index card holders, the combination of an attaching portion having parts for engaging a support, and a hinged card-supporting'portion, said card-supportin portion having arts for holding ,a plura ity of separate cards of different sizes.

5. In index card holders, the combination of an attaching portion having parts for engaging a support, anda hinged card-supporting rt1on, said card-supportin por- Po parts for holding a plura ity of s of different sizes, certain of said card-holding parts being ofl'set relatively to the others, whereby one of said cards may be supported in a= position ofi'set laterally from the other of said cards. i 6. In index card holders, e combination of .an attaching portion havi' engaging a su port; and a car pporting portion hing to said .attaching portion, said card-supporting portion havm plurality of sets of openings adapted to receive portions of a plurality of ported thereon.

7. In index cardholde the of an attaching portion ha engaging a su port, and aliea portion hin combination -'supporting relation on said attaching parts for cards to be sup "parts for to said attaching portion,

ceive portions of separate cards of different sizes, whereby a plurality of cards of different sizes may be supported thereon.

8. In an index card holder, stifl" attaehin portion having projecting parts adapted to engage a support, and a plurality of flexible flat card-supporting portions having parts secured in'superimposed portion, each of said flexible card sup ortmg portions being provided with means or en aging and holdmg a card independently 0 said other cardsupporting portions or the cards thereon.

i In an Index .card holder, the combination of an attaching portion having parts tion of an attachingportion having parts for engaging a support, a plurality of'separate card-receiving portions separately hm ed to said attaching portion, and a plurality ofsets of card-engaging parts on each of said card-receiving ortions said sets of cardengagin parts in ofl set'relatively to each other, wiereby eac cardreceiving portion is adapted to hold aplurality of cards each with at least one oflset ielatlvely to the edges of the other 0 said cards.

JAMES H. J.

a relatively for engaging a support, a plurality of se 

